Closer to You, Further from Me
by Lennox Case
Summary: Don't look at me like that. It's your problem if you hate me, you know. Well, I'll be heading back to the Fifth Division now. Oh, and don't make me repeat myself. It's Lieutenant Hitsugaya to you.
1. Hatred

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* * *

**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 1_

Hatred

* * *

"Captain!"

Panicked footsteps thumped rapidly down the corridors of the Fifth Division Headquarters. The previously quiet Captain's office, which sat at the end of the hall, now had its doors slid open so abruptly that they collided with the door frame, causing a loud clack to echo in the room. Nevertheless, the always-collected Captain seated at his desk, looked up calmly from the documents he was signing, wearing that characteristic smile that never seemed to fade.

"C-Captain," exhaled the disheveled officer at the entrance. "Pardon the intrusion, but it's an emergency!" Before the Captain could respond, the squad officer took a breath and followed with, "It's the Lieutenant and the Third-Seat!"

* * *

"_Hyaaaah!_"

A large fireball crashed into the ground, blowing back several spectators outlining the battle taking place on the streets of the Seireitei. Before the smoke had cleared, the blade of the attacker was met with the blade of their opponent, causing the two to be locked into stance. "Why won't you attack?" yelled the exhausted Third-Seat, glaring into the striking green eyes across from her. "Hitsugaya-kun!"

The green eyes slightly narrowed, and the Third-Seat was suddenly pushed back a distance from just raw strength. "This will not turn into a fight, Hinamori," responded the young Soul Reaper with messy white hair. His look toward his fellow officer could only be described as disdain. Never had he known his childhood friend to be as rash with decisions as she was now. However, he supposed that since her appearance had changed from childhood with her dark hair now tied up among other changes, it would only make sense that her mentality had changed as well. But how had she become so "blind"? Was it because—

"Snap, Tobiume!" Hinamori's blade released another large fireball from its base, hurling toward Hitsugaya. But he somersaulted backwards at such a height that it continued on its course and collided with the wall of the building behind. Hinamori clenched her teeth, gripping the handle of her zanpakuto tighter. "Why won't you use your Shikai? I've been using mine the entire time, but you—!"

"Hinamori," he delivered in a cold voice. He was getting at his limit. "With you, I don't need Shikai." Hinamori stepped back at those words. And he noticed, but continued on anyway. "I know what you're trying to do, but it will never work as long as I'm here. Stand down…if you know what's good for you." She was trembling now, but after a moment of silence, she looked up with eyes burning with fury. With a wide swing of her sword, she unleashed another attack, but kept repeating her movements so that multiple fireballs were now flying at Hitsugaya.

What was she doing? She was so consumed with rage that her attacks were getting sloppy. Most of the shots were out of his range anyway, and he paid no heed to those that were not even close to hitting him regardless of what they would destroy. However, at that point, a wide shadow fell upon him and a large blast of light deflected all the fire like a shield. When his vision returned, Hitsugaya saw the dark outline of the Fifth Division symbol on a large billowing cloth worn only by the strongest in the division.

Hinamori blinked back. "Captain…Aizen?"

"Are you alright, Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen, looking over his shoulder. Hitsugaya stared back with all seriousness before finally giving a curt nod. Aizen lingered on his gaze for a moment before finally facing forward. "Hinamori-kun…" he sighed.

Hinamori flinched at the sound of her name and kept her eyes on the cracked tile and debris on the ground. "Yes, Captain…I realize this was not a day of challenge within the Division."

"Then, why did you challenge Hitsugaya-kun?" Hinamori remained silent and only gripped the sword between her hands. "Seated rank cannot be changed whenever one wishes it to. Hinamori-kun, with all the destruction that has happened because of this," he said motioning to the damaged buildings and injured Soul Reapers surrounding them. "I cannot let this go unpunished. Irrationality is not befitting for highly-ranked officers." Hinamori eyes widened and looked up at Aizen in disbelief. "However, imprisonment will do for now. Please escort her," he said turning back around. "Lieutenant Hitsugaya."

* * *

Hitsugaya walked in silence to the detainment facility of the Seireitei, one hand holding Tobiume and the other on Hinamori's wrist. She had said nothing either but kept her head down, leaving Hitsugaya to lead her in the right direction. When the jail cell door rattled shut separating the two of them, she turned to face him. "Hitsugaya-kun," she said quietly. "Why did you become a Soul Reaper?" As she continued her voice grew louder and more demanding. "Why did you join the Fifth Division? Especially when you knew what I wanted since the very beginning!"

He stared back at her stoically, letting no emotion show though. "A messenger will be sent to you daily to update you on your—"

"Answer my question!" she yelled, pressing against the thick metal bars. Her seething anger was momentarily replaced with disbelief when Hitsugaya sighed and turned to walk away toward the exit. "Hitsugaya-kun! Wait! Answer me!" He could tell she had tears running down her face without even having to look back. Her screams could still be heard even after the guards closed the door behind him.

On his way back to the Fifth Division Headquarters, Hitsugaya looked down at Hinamori's zanpakuto that he still held in his hands. He tightened his grasp on both ends of the sheath as if trying to snap the sword in two. But, he relaxed his grip knowing that it would be futile. Stopping in his steps, he turned around and stared at the detainment facility, whose top was still peeking over the surrounding buildings. He pressed his lips together and felt the edge of them curve slightly upward.

_Hate me. As much as you can. Because if you want to get to him so badly, you'll have to settle with me first._

* * *

A few days later, the alarm sounded throughout the Seireitei. Ryoka had invaded the Soul Society.


	2. Lies

Thanks for the comments!

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**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 2_

Lies

* * *

Within a few days, panic had surged throughout the streets of the Seireitei as all Soul Reapers were now on alert of the intruders hiding within their walled city. It had even gotten to the point at which all officers were now permitted to carry their zanpakuto with them at all times. Hitsugaya watched from the window as Soul Reapers now traversed the streets in packs like small armies. Just then, someone appeared at his side and joined him in watching the scene below.

"Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen. "I trust that from here on out, you will do what is best for the Fifth Division." Hitsugaya looked up at him and took in the steady gaze, as if this were more of a warning rather than an order.

"Yes, sir," he replied, before watching the Fifth Division symbol on Aizen's back grow smaller down the corridor.

* * *

The following day, a lieutenant meeting was scheduled. Hitsugaya leant against a wall of the currently empty room, lost in thought. Something was going to happen soon. Something far more shocking and he felt it, but he just could not pinpoint what it was exactly.

"Oh, Hitsugaya, you're here early," called a voice from the doorway.

Hitsugaya did not move but caught a vibrant red color from this periphery. "Abarai."

"Ahh, no one's here yet," sighed Renji, looking around the room. "Well, you seem pretty quiet today. More than usual."

"Did you see the prisoner, Rukia Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked, now looking at him.

"Huh?" he retorted, slightly surprised. "Yeah, actually. I just did." Renji kept his eye on him a bit longer. "How did you know?"

Hitsugaya blinked back, but scoffed to the side. "It's written all over your face."

"What?" said Renji, taken aback. But he lowered his head slightly with a weak smile. "That obvious, huh?" He raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Well, I guess it's the same with you and Hinamori though."

Hitsugaya stared back at him pointedly, regretting that he even brought this up in the first place.

"Is she still—?"

"Yeah," he said quickly. But before any uncomfortable silence could ensue between them, loud chatter was heard through the door as the remaining lieutenants poured into the room. One such one was known on occasion to make quite the scene.

"Hey," whined the lieutenant, leaning her weight against the doorframe. "Do we really have to come to this so early?"

"Don't be so loud, Matsumoto," scolded Hitsugaya, sending her a glare from the side.

"Ah! Hitsu-kun!" she exclaimed, perking up. "You're here, too!"

"Of course I am! And call me properly." He could already feel his stress levels rise.

"Ah, don't be silly; it suits you," she laughed while situating herself on the wall next to him. "If my Captain were still around, I think you two would have gotten along perfectly. You both have the same attitude!" But her laughter grew quieter, and was drowned out by the clamor in the room. "Too bad. He passed before you could even get to know him."

Hitsugaya remained silent and simply stared forward. It seemed that none of the conversations were for him today.

"Attention, everyone," called Sasakibe at the front of the room. "Please take your seats. We have a lot to discuss about the recent Ryoka incident."

* * *

"Sheesh, that was tiring," yawned Renji, rolling his shoulder. "Are these Ryoka really that big a deal?"

After the meeting, the lieutenants had dispersed. Now, Hitsugaya was slowly trailing behind Renji, Matsumoto, and a couple others to exit the building. Renji had a point. The crimes of Rukia Kuchiki were insufficient for her current punishment, and the Ryoka that had come to rescue her only made that more apparent. What was going on behind closed doors? Just then, he bumped into the person in front of him.

"Oi, Matsumoto," he frowned. "If you're just going to stop, then—" However, Hitsugaya noted all the expressions of the other lieutenants who had also stopped. This was more than just surprise; they were appalled. He followed their gazes and his eyes widened at what he saw. "That's Captain Aizen's—"

"He's been murdered!" yelled Kira.

"How can this be?" followed Iba in shock.

"Who would do this?" trembled Matsumoto. "To mutilate a captain's body and put him out for the world to see!"

Hitsugaya stood frozen at the sight. How could this be? Captain Aizen was… He—!

"Ahh…" called a voice from behind. "Now what's all this ruckus for so early in the mornin'?" Every head but Hitsugaya's turned around to see the Captain of the Third Division enter the scene.

"Captain Ichimaru!" called Renji.

"Gin…" said Matsumoto.

"Looks like the Captain's been murdered," said Ichimaru, with his carved-in grin. "Not somethin' to see at all." He turned his sight toward the only one who paid him no mind. "What shall we do, Lieutenant Hitsugaya?"

After a moment of having all eyes rest on the young lieutenant, he calmly forced out, "Get the Captain's body down from there at once."

"Well, Rangiku," said Ichimaru. "It seems the Lieutenant is in a bit of shock. Could you please make sure Captain Aizen's body gets safely to the Fourth Division? I'll take care of Hitsugaya-san."

Matsumoto nodded and looked empathetically at Hitsugaya, who was now in the same position as she was. She then led Renji, Kira, and Iba away as Ichimaru and Hitsugaya were the only ones who remained.

"Ichimaru," said Hitsugaya, who finally turned to face him. "What does this mean?"

Ichimaru eyed him carefully before letting his smile widen a bit further. "It means, Hitsugaya, that you are now the leader of the Fifth Division."

* * *

That night, it was reported that a jailbreak occurred at the detainment facility. The fugitive: Fifth Division Third-Seat, Momo Hinamori.


	3. Suspicion

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* * *

**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 3_

Suspicion

* * *

"So you really did call me out here this late at night."

"Ichimaru." Hitsugaya stood atop one of the sparring platforms outside the Third Division Headquarters, waiting with his arms folded in the sleeves of his kimono. "Have you seen Hinamori?" he asked, as Ichimaru stood across from him.

"What makes you think I would know?" he grinned.

Hitsugaya glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "There's just been no word of her since she escaped."

"Well, it's only been a few hours; I'm sure she'll be comin' back soon," he gestured with a palm facing up. "Now tell me, what is this really about?"

The wind passed between the two Soul Reapers, momentarily disturbing the silence blanketing them. Hitsugaya stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "What is happening here? I know you know more about the current situation."

"Hmm?" Ichimaru grimaced. "What ever could you mean? Though, I should tell you to keep trustin' your instincts, Hitsugaya."

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Hitsugaya, balling his fist. "Then, there is something going on. Is that what you're saying?"

"My, my. So persistent," sighed Ichimaru. "If you're that curious, why don't you go visit the Central 46 and see what you find."

"What?" said Hitsugaya, taken aback. "Then—!" However, at that moment, Hitsugaya felt a spark of a familiar spiritual pressure. Turning around, he froze at the sight of someone slowly standing up from a kneeling position. "Hinamori!"

"Hitsugaya-kun," said Hinamori shakily. "I couldn't stay there. I have to find out—the person responsible…for Captain Aizen's…" She was a mess. The dark circles under her eyes told him she had been crying almost nonstop, most likely from the moment she heard of Aizen's murder.

"Hinamori," Hitsugaya said quietly. "Go back to the Division. This is not the time to be wandering about."

"But we have to find them!" shouted Hinamori, fresh tears appearing in her eyes. "Someone did this! We can't just—!" She paused when she felt a hand atop her head. Looking up, she saw the face of Gin Ichimaru smiling down at her, reflected by the moonlight. He must have flash-stepped for she did not even realize his approach.

"Hinamori-san," he said slowly. "That's not the face a Third-Seat should be showin'. I doubt Captain Aizen would—"

Suddenly, he felt his hand be forcefully shoved away as Hitsugaya flash-stepped in between the two. "Captain Ichimaru," said Hitsugaya, glaring up at him with striking green eyes. "I will handle the subordinates of my Division."

Ichimaru raised an eyebrow at this, but this also caused his grin to widen. "Well, then please do, Lieutenant Hitsugaya." He turned and walked away, but not before adding, "Oh, and do keep my earlier advice in mind."

* * *

Hitsugaya escorted Hinamori back to her quarters, who had paused before opening her door. "Hitsugaya-kun," she said in a small raspy voice, tired from crying. "Why did this happen?"

Hitsugaya stared at her, trying to come up with an answer, but his pessimism got the best of him so he remained silent. Abruptly, she turned toward him and gripped his kimono, resting her head against his shoulder. He had begun to raise his arms in support, but when he stared at the palms of his hands, he let his arms fall back to his sides. "Promise me," he said. "You won't do anything unnecessary."

Hinamori's eyes widened when she felt her wrists being pushed back toward her, releasing her hold. Hitsugaya turned and walked away without so much as sparing her another glance.

* * *

When dawn broke, a Hell Butterfly flew through the open window of Hitsugaya's room, who was already sitting at the edge of his futon, unable to sleep. Turning his palm up, the butterfly rested on his fingertip and relayed a message. Rukia Kuchiki's execution had been moved up. But, he was not surprised; this was his cue. After getting ready, his eyes fell on the Fifth Division armband that he had always detested wearing. However, since he was heading to the Central 46, he might as well be dressed to the occasion.

When Hitsugaya had come to the large doors of the underground chamber, he found that none of his calls to grant him entry had been answered. Sighing, he swiftly removed Hyourinmaru from his back and made an entrance of his own. He slowed his pace as he neared the bottom of the lengthy flight of steps, coming across a smell that was between rusty and sweet. It was the scent of blood. When he got to the entryway of the chamber, he almost lost his footing at the scene in front of him. All members of the Central 46 had been massacred, their blood spewed all over the desks and chairs that they had been sitting in when they were killed. Upon inspecting the blood, Hitsugaya knew that the killing had happened days before.

"Well, Hitsugaya, you did show up after all."

Hitsugaya spun around and saw Ichimaru occlude the doorway of the room. "Ichimaru! What happened here? Did you do this?" he said, glowering at him.

"I did not," smiled Ichimaru. "But, I know where you can find out."

* * *

Hitsugaya followed Ichimaru to a place that he had only heard of before: the restricted residential district of the Central 46. "What is this all about, Ichimaru?" Hitsugaya asked, never taking his eyes off him for even a moment.

"You ask too many things," Ichimaru replied, waving a hand behind him.

"You still didn't answer my question."

"I didn't like your question."

Giving up, Hitsugaya knew that arguing with a person like Gin Ichimaru would be pointless. He came to a halt at the base of some steps that led up to a smaller chamber. It was then that he felt another spiritual pressure, one stronger than Ichimaru's and his combined. This could only be—!

"Yo, Hitsugaya-kun," said a figure emerging from the shadows. "Long time, no see."

"Captain Aizen!" exclaimed Hitsugaya, taking a step back. "How...? Then…" He thought for a moment, remembering the days that transpired. "Then, what they saw on the day of your murder, it wasn't—"

"It was just an illusion," Aizen smiled sinisterly. "One prepared exclusively for the Thirteen Divisions." Hitsugaya looked to Ichimaru, who was smiling back at him the same way, and then to the floor as he tried to put together the missing pieces of this mystery that has included not only the Soul Society but people from the World of the Living as well. "Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen continued. "There was a very good reason why I wanted you to become my lieutenant, and I believe you can figure out what that is."

"Are you planning on taking over the Soul Society?" Hitsugaya asked with worried eyes.

"Very perceptive," said Aizen. "That is part of the reason."

"And you…"

"I would like you to join me."

Hitsugaya could barely believe what he was hearing. But before he could even give any more thought to what Aizen was saying, a feeling of dread washed over him. Slowly looking over his shoulder, he saw the one person he did not want to see. "Hinamori…"

But she was not looking at him. "C-Captain…Aizen…" she stammered, her eyes wide with shock.

"Hinamori-kun, it's nice of you to drop by." Aizen looked to Ichimaru with a steady gaze. "Gin, it seems you weren't careful enough on your way here." Hitsugaya saw Ichimaru slightly frown as if he, too, was surprised by her sudden arrival. Since Hinamori was a master of kido, it would be trivial of her to mask her spiritual pressure. Had she followed since the beginning?

Hitsugaya cursed under his breath. "I told you…" he said shakily. "I told you not to do anything unnecessary…"

"Captain Aizen…is alive?" Hinamori had not yet moved her eyes off Aizen's face, but she then slowly turned to look at Hitsugaya. "But…what was he saying to you, Hitsugaya-kun? What was it…that you were going to do?"

_That I was going to do? What are you saying? Like I'm the one who's responsible for this?_

Hitsugaya blinked back. Was he responsible? He was suddenly caught at a point in which two different lives played out before him. One with her and one against her. What scared him the most was that he was even weighing these two choices. Was this what Aizen was talking about? The reason he "chose" him…

He had decided to become the lieutenant of the Fifth Division out of any other seat for the sole reason of distancing Hinamori from Aizen, regardless if that meant that he was the one to get between them. But did that mean that the only way for him to get closer to Aizen was to get farther from Hinamori? Is that what that meant? To gain back one thing at the cost of sacrificing another…even if the thing he gains becomes so tainted. Even if that were the case, at least gaining that back would be better than not having it again at all. And Aizen had known all along that Hitsugaya would be one to weigh such things against each other. But, he—he wasn't the only one…

_Right, Hinamori?_


	4. Jealousy

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**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 4_

Jealousy

* * *

"D-Damn you...Aizen!"

A loud crash was heard as a man tumbled face-first onto the grounds outside the Fifth Division; the blood seeping through his haori clouded the Tenth Division symbol he wore on his back. A long blade slowly retracted from where the Tenth Captain had just stood as if returning to its master after a job well done.

"Well, Captain Aizen," mused Ichimaru, staring across to the Fifth Captain. "Would you like me to finish him off?"

"No, Gin," smiled Aizen. The moonlight hovering from above reflected on his glasses, keeping that part of his face unreadable. "You've had your turn. Now, why don't _you_ give it a try," Aizen said, turning behind him. "Hitsugaya-kun?"

Hitsugaya looked up at Aizen through his messy white fringe. "He's not dead yet?" he asked, now staring fixedly at the limp body.

"Think of this as your initiation ceremony into the Thirteen Divisions," grinned Ichimaru, ignoring his question. Hitsugaya stepped forward, shifting uncomfortably in the new Soul Reaper robes he had received earlier that day as the weight of them was different from the academy uniform he had just graduated from. Reaching behind his shoulder, he felt for the hilt of Hyourinmaru before unsteadily releasing it from its sheath. He never once took his eyes off the bleeding form hunched on the ground. He heard nothing other than the sound of the wind and felt nothing but the cold sweat on his skin as well as the eager pairs of eyes on his back.

Lifting the sword, so that the tip was set against the Captain's shoulder blade, Hitsugaya swore he could still feel the beat of the heart at the other end pounding through to the hilt. Maybe that was his own heart. Suddenly an arm reached out and snatched his ankle, making him hesitate. He refused to look down and make eye contact with the one who was to be his first victim, so he let his instincts take over, forcing himself to plunge the blade in until it met with the ground. The hand gripped tighter before going limp onto the floor.

"Well done," began Aizen. "Lieutenant."

"Huh?" said Hitsugaya, snapping back to reality. "I'm the...lieutenant?"

"The kind of lieutenant I want is one who can make logical decisions in the face of a dilemma. And from what I've seen from you at the academy, you certainly have the strengths of a lieutenant—perhaps even a captain someday like Gin."

"Captain Aizen," started Ichimaru. "Would you like us to handle the disposin' of the body?"

"Very well. I'll put in the report the Tenth Division Captain died while on his mission to the World of the Living and that his corpse was never found."

Once Aizen had left, Ichimaru turned to Hitsugaya, who had set his sights back on the body holding up his zanpakuto. "Congratulations, Lieutenant." Hitsugaya paid him no mind and rather, tried to retrieve his sword though the task was harder than expected. "Oh dear, you really went in for the kill. You must really not want that cute childhood friend of yours to get closer to—my, what's that look for? Did I say somethin'?"

But Ichimaru was right. Everything he had done until this point, even shamelessly bloodying his own hands by agreeing to kill the Tenth Captain, was for that sole reason. Even the time before he became a Soul Reaper…

"_Shiro-chan! Hey are you listening to me?" whined Hinamori, who was dressed in the red academy uniform. She was looking down at a smaller boy with white hair wearing typical village clothes of Rukongai. He did not look back at her, but rather, just grumbled in agreement. He had hated the name she seemed to speak at every opportunity even though he had never met him before. "Well, that's what happened! Captain Aizen really is amazing! I can't wait to join his Division, so then I'll be…"_

…

"Lieutenant of the Fifth Division: Toushiro Hitsugaya," announced Sasakibe in the lieutenant's meeting room.

Words of praise and pats on the back were received by the most recent addition to the second-in-command officers. All the ruckus was giving him a headache and he had finally managed to step outside without being seen, or so he thought.

"Congratulations, Hitsugaya-ku—I mean—Lieutenant Hitsugaya."

Hinamori did not look up to meet his gaze, but he knew her better than anyone. That chewed lip, those furrowed brows, and those darkened eyes. This was spite. Well, it was only a matter of time until he saw this side of her being so blatantly obvious. But this was fine. Just as long as he got to where he wanted to be, the hatred he would feel from her did not faze him. In fact, he even welcomed it. He always believed her hate was better than not being seen by her at all.

…

"Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen, one day in the Fifth Division Captain's office. "Now that you have become my lieutenant, I would advise you not to appear at the revealing of the Captain's Shikai tomorrow."

He saved his questions for another. "Yes, sir."

…

"Hmm?" said Ichimaru. "You ask '_Why?_' Well, I don't like to give spoilers, Hitsugaya, but you'll see sooner or later what his request really means. You will 'see' far better than any of the others."

Hitsugaya found out what Ichimaru had meant on the day of Aizen's "murder". When the lieutenants stood in shock, he had followed their gazes and saw the most peculiar thing jutting out from the side of the white wall of the adjacent building. He recognized that green hilt; it could only be the sword of his Captain. "That's Captain Aizen's—"

"He's been murdered!"

_What?_

"How can this be?"

"Who would do this? To mutilate a captain's body and put him out for the world to see!"

What were they all talking about? There was nothing there but Aizen's zanpakuto. Did they see something else? It was almost as if they were under some sort of spell.

"What shall we do, Lieutenant Hitsugaya?" calmly asked Ichimaru. Hitsugaya knew Ichimaru saw what he saw, too. Was this a test? It was as if whatever he would do next would determine if he really was worthy of being the lieutenant that Aizen wanted.

Fine. He'll continue playing. "Bring the Captain's body down from there at once."

Like falling, there was now only one direction to follow. Ever since he had entered the Thirteen Divisions, every step was to get to this point. It had already been too late to turn back; so, there was no longer any reason for him to hesitate now.

* * *

"Hitsugaya-kun…what are you planning on doing?" Hinamori's ears perked up at the sound of metal scratching against its sheath. Her eyes widened when she saw the tip of Hyourinmaru pointed toward her, a gesture of challenging one to battle—a battle to the death.

"Hinamori," said Hitsugaya coldly. "You're in the way."

"W-what are you saying?"

"You..." he said, pointing the blade up to the sky. "You of all people should have known this would happen."

"Shiro-chan..." she trembled.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" A roar echoed within the chamber before the gleam of ice shone upon Hitsugaya's zanpakuto. It cracked and dispersed, revealing the new chain leading from the hilt to a crescent shaped blade. "Prepare yourself."

At once he charged toward her, leaving Hinamori to unsheathe her sword by reflex. "Why are you doing this?" she asked desperately, trying to hold his blade back.

"You wanted to join Aizen's Division? Well, this is what becoming the Lieutenant of the Fifth Division really means!" he yelled, pushing on.

"No," said Hinamori, slowly shaking her head. "No!" And at that brief second, she took Hitsugaya by surprise and broke through his defense. He knew that only his arm was grazed but he barely felt a thing. When he landed back, he found that what lie between them was the lieutenant's badge that he had been wearing around his arm; the cloth band had been cut. Looking closer, he saw a deep, broad slash on the wooden tablet, crossing just over the iconic symbol of the Fifth Division: the Forget-Me-Not flower.

He smiled bitterly. _How ironic..._

Hinamori lowered her zanpakuto so it hanged limply in her hand, grazing the floor. "Did I," she began, looking from the armband to Hitsugaya. "Did I do this to you?"

Hitsugaya's scowl deepened while his eyes widened in surprise. Did she know? Did she really know what she had done to him for all these years? "What are you getting at?" he asked quickly. However, she remained silent and her eyes reflected something like...pity? No! That's not what he wanted at all! He wanted to hear her say what he had always expected her to realize. "Don't make me repeat myself," he added, rage clawing at his voice. "What are you trying to say!" He lifted Hyourinmaru high above his head, summoning the ice dragon from within. The blue ice swirled above and then spiraled downward as if setting its sights on the source of its master's pain.

But Hinamori did not move. She could not even raise her sword as if it had become too heavy. It was only until after the ice around her had shattered that he realized what he had done. Her unconscious form covered in spots of thin ice like a plague was burned into his mind. He should have gone to her, to see if she was okay, but—

"Come," said Aizen from behind, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's time to go."

* * *

After that, he only remembered chaos. All this elaborate set up and scheming just for a tiny rock called the Hogyoku. Then again, he found it hard to criticize Aizen's tactics. The faces of all his fellow Soul Reapers as he, Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen ascended from Sokyoku Hill were all identical to hers. It was the shock of betrayal. But given more thought, he realized this face was not new to him at all. Because for as long as he could remember, he saw it every time he stared at his own reflection.

"Hitsugaya," said Ichimaru, for once looking stern. "Put that away right now." Hitsugaya would not have known what he meant had he not felt the water dripping off his chin. Rubbing his eyes quickly before anyone else saw, he looked back out toward the Soul Society, not knowing which one had abandoned the other first.


	5. Admiration

Thanks for reading and the reviews are much appreciated!

* * *

**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 5_

Admiration

* * *

Hitsugaya walked along the spacious white-walled corridors of Las Noches, his steps echoing along the high arches of the ceiling. At first, he believed he would not have minded the color white, seeing as he wore it on him every day, but as the months went on, he could no longer contain his feelings of disgust toward it. However, he was not the one who handled the decor around this place, nor did he design what he was currently outfitting. Though he still had the same kind of pants and boots as most everyone here, his top was akin to an army-styled jacket of western tastes thanks to Sasakibe having shown him such things before. It was a slim-fitting jacket whose collar stood and encircled loosely around the neck. On the front, there were four black decorative cords stretching across the chest which closed up the front. The collar also had two pairs of metal buttons that he left open anyway, and the trim around the seams of the jacket were black. What he appreciated the most about the outfit were that the sleeves reached a bit past his elbows and folded back revealing the black inner lining. It was comfortable and similar to what he wore as a Soul Reaper unlike Ichimaru's whose sleeves were way too big or Tousen's whose sleeves were not there at all. And all over this, was the green sash and clip across his chest that held his zanpakuto. Thinking about it, it seemed that wherever and however Aizen attained everyone's outerwear, it seemed to be suited to both the size and tastes of the wearer.

Speaking of no sleeves, Hitsugaya paused when he noticed Tousen in the hallway. "Tousen, Captain Aizen wants to see Hallibel. Have you seen her?"

"What makes you think I would have?"

He frowned in annoyance. "What? Can you not—?" Hitsugaya hesitated.

"What?" said Tousen, now more attentive. "_'See?'_"

After an awkward silence, Hitsugaya clicked his tongue and walked past him. "I'll just bother Ichimaru."

"As you should have done in the first place."

* * *

"Ah, Tousen," laughed Ichimaru, typing away at one of the computers in the surveillance room. "That poor fool knows nothin'. And no, I'm not gonna help you find Hallibel."

"But you're staring at the surveillance right now." Then, Hitsugaya thought for a moment. "Is it because she hates you?"

Ichimaru smiled nervously, scratching his chin with his index finger. "Well... Oh, how about askin' Ulquiorra?"

Hitsugaya was somewhat stunned that he had not thought about that in the first place. "Great. Where is he?"

"Off to a mission in the World of the Living."

Hitsugaya shot Ichimaru a sidelong glance. "Why would you tell me if he's so far away?"

"To see your disappointed face." A long pause ensued afterwards.

"_Tch_. Later," said Hitsugaya as he turned to let himself out.

"Bye-bye!" said Ichimaru, waving as the door was closed.

* * *

Finally, after traversing the castle in a futile search, Hitsugaya decided to go out for some fresh air though there was not much one could expect from a desert. Sighing, he put his hands in his pockets and climbed over the gray dunes. He hated this place. It was times like these when his thoughts ran back to _her_. And these times happened more often than he had wanted.

He knew her so well that he could practically see her spending countless days in bed, rethinking who exactly she could have trust in and how exactly things had ended this way. Was there anyone left on whom she could completely rely? Hinamori probably thought of him only out of spite; everything that had happened between them before the day he left was nothing more than a lie to her by now. He hated the idea of compromising her physical and mental health in such a way, but at the same time, he also felt another emotion running astride that. He found it sickening, but the satisfaction he felt knowing that her thoughts were now filled with him was no lie.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried his best to push such thoughts away for the umpteenth time that day. It was then that he heard the sound of the clash of metal, and over the dune he found the Tercera Espada. Tier Hallibel was engaging her Fracción in what appeared to be training exercises.

"Come at me, Apacci," called Hallibel, raising her sword. Apacci nodded and ran toward Hallibel with her sword raised above her head. However, before she reached her, her focus was disturbed for a moment, causing Apacci to lose her balance when Hallibel swung at her. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry, Hallibel-sama," said Appaci, sitting up. She then directed her attention to where Hitsugaya was standing. "Oi! You made me lose my concentration!"

"Hitsugaya," said Hallibel, looking toward him.

"Hallibel, Aizen wants to see you."

Hallibel sheathed her zanpakuto on her back and nodded. "You three can remain here and train," she said to her Fracción.

"Yes, ma'am!"

When she got to the top of the dune, she stopped. "Play nice."

"We will!"

"I wasn't referring to you."

After she had left, Apacci turned to Mila Rose and Sung-Sun. "The hell does that mean?"

"What do you think?" grunted Mila Rose.

"Honestly, even you should understand that much," scolded Sung-Sun.

"Huh? You mean—!"

"Do your best to entertain me," said Hitsugaya, flash-stepping a distance away from them.

"You?" spat Apacci. "Don't underestimate us. We are Hallibel-sama's Fracción!"

Hitsugaya smirked. He needed to do something—anything to release him of his frustrations. Unsheathing his sword, he beckoned to the three, granting them the first move.

* * *

"D-Damn!" Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun, who had already activated their Resurrección, were struggling to stand as Hitsugaya stood across from them, not even out of breath.

"Want to try again?"

"Screw you!"

"Didn't think Hallibel's Fracción was one to give up," he retorted. Apacci grit her teeth and then tightly gripped her right arm.

"Wait, Apacci!" called Mila Rose. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't try to stop me! If we can't beat this lieutenant-ranked Soul Reaper, how are we supposed to help Hallibel-sama when the battle begins?"

"Don't be stupid," called Sung-Sun. "This is only for emergencies!"

Hitsugaya stood silently watching the exchange, having no idea what they were going on about. His confusion was exacerbated when Apacci abruptly tore off her own left arm. Given no other option, the remaining two followed suit. Their arms combined to form a portal, from which a creature against imagination stepped out off.

"Say 'Hello' to Allon," said Apacci, motioning to the giant with brown fur and a horned skull on its head. Without warning, the beast shot its massive fist at Hitsugaya, who just barely missed the chance of a death by flattening. "He's damn fast."

And that was no understatement. Even the ice dragon that Hitsugaya released could not keep up with Allon, who managed to dodge every attack. "_Tch_. This is getting nowhere." Hitsugaya held Hyourinmaru in both hands and stood still, trying to drown out all the distractions around him. Soon enough, thundering clouds appeared overhead, darkening the battlefield. "Tenso Juurin!"

The Tres Espada looked up at the sky in bewilderment at the sudden drop in temperature despite them being in a desert. "What's going on?" asked Mila Rose.

"It's a good thing I'll only have to use this in Shikai," said Hitsugaya. "Otherwise, I might end up killing everyone in Las Noches, too."

"Wait," interrupted Sung-Sun. "You mean—!"

"Hyoten Hyakkaso!" Snow began to fall from the dark clouds over the area in which they stood, and when the first fragment of ice fell on Allon, it ruptured into a large ice flower coating its body. "When the last flower blooms, it's all over." The Fracción were forced to retreat to a safe distance away, and they watched hopelessly as their creation disappeared within a tower of a thousand flowers. It shattered, leaving nothing behind but diamond dust.

"I would ask that you sheathe your sword to prevent further casualties," called a voice from the top of the dune.

"Hallibel-sama!"

Apacci and the others ran to their master, beaten and defeated. "He...He killed Allon."

"I am sure Allon served his duty well," said Hallibel, comforting her quiet companions. "We must return to the castle. Ulquiorra has retrieved a woman who can heal any injury instantly."

"Who would that be?" asked Hitsugaya, who had approached from behind.

"A human, who was one of the intruders that entered the Soul Society." Hallibel led her Fracción away, but not before staring back pointedly at Hitsugaya. "It's a good thing that we're on the same side. Who knows how a battle between the two of us would have ended?"

Hitsugaya, now alone, contemplated for a moment. A small smile appeared on his face at the thought. _I wonder..._

* * *

Days later it was reported that the same intruders who had invaded the Soul Society had also come to Hueco Mundo. They had come for the human that Ulquiorra had been asked to capture by Aizen. Currently, she was detained in her own room under the close watch of Ulquiorra, himself. Hitsugaya was just passing by that very room when he saw Grimmjow walking from the opposite end of the hall.

"Hey, kid."

"How many times have I told you. It's not 'kid'."

After a moment of silence between the two, each formed their own characteristic smirks on their faces. It was strange the connection Hitsugaya felt with Grimmjow. He figured they got along so well because of their similar cold demeanors masking a more unruly nature within. In all honesty, Grimmjow was one of the only Espada that Hitsugaya hoped would survive the war.

"So she really can heal anything," said Hitsugaya, nodding to the door. "You look much better with your arm back."

"Heh, of course," said Grimmjow, rolling the shoulder of his new arm. "And that's not the only thing." He turned around revealing his number six tattoo on his back. "Fixed this, too. Guess who's the Sixth Espada again?"

"So then Luppi?"

"Dead."

"He promised to kill me, you know."

"I guess rank wasn't the only thing that little crap couldn't keep."

At that moment, they both heard yelling through the door next to them followed by a loud slap. They waited in silence until the door opened to reveal Ulquiorra, whose cheek was slightly red. "What happened to you?" laughed Grimmjow. "Domestic issues?" Ulquiorra simply glared at Grimmjow before turning to walk down the hall. "Oi! I'm talkin' to you!" Grimmjow yelled to his back. "Now that I'm back as the Sixth, it'll only be a matter of time before I outrank you."

Ulquiorra stopped walking and turned back around. "Don't think you can get cocky over something you won back by chance." Hitsugaya did not know Ulquiorra well, but even he could tell that he was more upset than usual.

"You think that woman's chance? Then I'm guessin' that's why even you can't handle her," sneered Grimmjow. Just then, Ulquiorra used Sonido to appear in front of him, narrowing his gaze.

"Hitsugaya," said Ulquiorra although he never took his eyes off Grimmjow. "Please watch over the prisoner. This will be settled shortly."

"Hah! Sounds good!" yelled Grimmjow, stretching a wide grin. "I'll kill ya!" Simultaneously, both used Sonido and disappeared from sight.

"_Tch_," sighed Hitsugaya, scratching the side of his head. Why was he responsible for all this? Technically, he had no obligation to listen to the words of an Espada, and he used that fact to convince himself to turn around. But then, he heard something soft and muffled through the door: crying. Hitsugaya recalled the last time he encountered a girl crying. And he remembered how he pushed her away and left her standing alone in the darkness. Without thinking, he placed his hand on the thick, stone door and pushed in.

Hitsugaya froze when he heard a slight gasp. He had only realized what he was doing when he was met with a teary-eyed look of surprise from someone sitting on a couch across from him.

"Sorry," he said quickly, his hand still gripping on the door. He was just about to turn back around, when the voice of the person inside stopped him.

"No, wait! Um, sorry about this." She was hurriedly wiping at her eyes with her hands. "C-Can I help you?" Hitsugaya was taken aback as this human girl was technically offering assistance to her captors. It looked even more ridiculous due to the state she was in.

"Just...checking," replied Hitsugaya awkwardly. He was beginning to wonder which one of the two was the more ridiculous one.

"Oh," she smiled. "Yes, I'm okay." Silence ensued for a good few seconds. "Um...is Ulquiorra alright?"

Was she serious? Like a slap would fatally wound someone like Ulquiorra? It was strange, but the way this girl thought of so many others besides herself, even in the predicament she was in, reminded him of _her_. He laughed a little under his breath. "You remind me of someone I know."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. I'm Toushiro Hitsugaya."

"Oh, I'm Orihime Inoue," she said with a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Toushiro-kun."

"So I'm guessing you heard about your friends coming here. Is that why you were crying?" Orihime blinked back at his straightforwardness and stared at him for a moment. "What?" asked Hitsugaya, looking off to the side.

"N-Nothing!" she said abruptly. "It's just that–"

"Just that no one would expect someone from Aizen's army to ask," he replied, somewhat dimly. "Maybe you're right." Orihime looked to Hitsugaya, who was looking down, lost in his own world. There was something different about him.

"I'm upset," she said so abruptly that it took Hitsugaya off guard. "I'm angry and sad that they came all this way to risk their lives for me when I came here of my own will to protect them."

"But..." he began, somewhat wearily for he had never taken part in a conversation of this nature before. "If it's to protect you, isn't that all worth the risk?"

"Maybe that's what I thought when we tried to save Rukia-chan. But now that I'm in her position, it feels awful." Orihime looked down at her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. "But I have faith in them. I believe that my heart is with them wherever they are. And I know they think the same of me."

"Even though it looked like you betrayed them and joined Aizen?" he asked slowly.

"If they thought that, they wouldn't have come to get me in the first place," she smiled at him.

* * *

Even after he left the room, Hitsugaya let Orihime's words echo in his mind. Was that all it took? Faith? This was all new to him; he still found it hard to believe that such interconnection could exist between people.

"Hitsugaya." He looked up and saw Ichimaru walking toward him, but his characteristic fox-grin was nowhere to be seen. "The battle begins at the end of the week."

"So soon?" Hitsugaya asked with widened eyes.

"Whatever happens..." Ichimaru started solemnly. "Well, I know you'll do what has to be done." He put a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder briefly before dropping his arm and continuing on his way. Hitsugaya turned to watch his shrinking form, knowing that the time for faith was going to be more imperative now than ever before.


	6. Faith

.

* * *

**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 6_

Faith

* * *

The day had finally come. Hitsugaya knew that one way or another, this would be his last time in Las Noches. Stepping through the Garganta, along with his fellow ex-Soul Reapers, he squinted his eyes at the sight of a bright blue sky. Below them, were modern-styled buildings that told him they had arrived in the World of the Living. This was to be their battlefield.

"And what have we here?" said Aizen.

Standing across from them in the sky was Genryuusai Yamamoto with several members of the Thirteen Divisions assembled behind him. Hitsugaya quickly scanned the faces, breathing a slight sigh of relief that _she_ was absent. However, he felt a small change in spiritual pressure from the person beside him.

"Ichimaru," said Hitsugaya quietly. Ichimaru snapped out of whatever thoughts were going through his mind and turned slightly to look back at Hitsugaya.

"Ah," he frowned. "Didn't think they would send her here." Hitsugaya looked back to the Soul Reapers across from them and recognized Matsumoto. Only those close to the both of them knew what they were to each other, and there were not many who fitted that category. Hitsugaya was almost thankful when Yamamoto activated his Shikai at the brink of battle and ensnared him, Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen in a cage of fire. He felt that Ichimaru was also relieved in a way. At least this bought them time to avoid any altercations with their previous comrades.

In order to drown out the sounds of swords clashing, buildings crumbling, and fire crackling Hitsugaya thought back to his conversation with Orihime. Her words about keeping faith in her friends still troubled him. As the battle continued, he found it hard to believe that faith did anything at all. Hitsugaya could feel the spiritual pressures of everyone outside the towering ring of fire. Some fluctuated, some dimmed, and a few others disappeared entirely. At this point, he was not sure which side would win. Whatever the outcome, he knew that his fate would only end in—

Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure spiked suddenly before he even finished his thoughts. The wall of fire he had been staring at seemed to be dancing in slow motion as he realized the reason for his shock. A new presence had been detected on the battlefield as Hinamori had finally joined the fight.

"Are you doin' alright," mused Ichimaru. "Lieutenant?"

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes and continued staring forward. "Why wouldn't I be?"

* * *

"Rangiku-san!"

The spiritual pressures of Hallibel's Fracción as well as that of Matsumoto nearly extinguished simultaneously. Hitsugaya could only assume that their fight had ended in a draw and that Hinamori would be the only one left to heal her. Looking toward Ichimaru, Hitsugaya was surprised that he made no reaction at all; not even his spiritual pressure fluctuated this time. Did he actually not care as much as he seemed he did, or was it that he fully believed her to pull through?

Suddenly, violent shaking caused the glass of the buildings below to shatter and fall. Above the tongues of flames, Hitsugaya saw a Garganta splitting the sky, and the ones who emerged were Wonderweiss and an enormous misshapen creature with no face.

"It's about time," said Tousen.

"What the hell is that thing?" exclaimed Hitsugaya. But almost immediately, he felt an intense gust of wind from it that blew away Yamamoto's fire. It was as if a blindfold had been lifted as Hitsugaya surveyed the city in ruins; the chaos was worse than what he had imagined. The buildings had been blown to bits, parts of the streets were flooded with water, and all over were soldiers covered in injuries of varying degrees. The top three Espada were engaged in uneven battles with captains and the remaining lieutenants; the others were lying unconscious in a group waiting to be healed. Quickly, he found Hinamori, who was hunched over the bleeding form of Matsumoto on the roof of a building. He met her gaze as she took a moment to look up, her eyes reflecting nothing but pure shock. Perhaps she had never imagined seeing this kind of scene, one in which they would be on opposite sides. Looking closer, he saw that she sported an armband; Hinamori had become the Lieutenant of the Fifth Division like she had always wanted. Hitsugaya grit his teeth at the thought; however, he knew that her dream could never really be fulfilled now that Aizen was no longer her Captain.

"Hold it right there," called a voice above them. Hitsugaya looked up, and his eyes widened at who he saw. "Long time, no see, Aizen," smiled Shinji Hirako. The Visored or "failed arrancars", as Aizen called them, stood behind their leader, ready for battle.

Down below, Matsumoto used her remaining dregs of effort to open her eyes. "Captain...?"

* * *

"Well, those look like familiar faces," Ichimaru said aloud. However, Aizen remained silent, keeping his sights on no one but Hirako.

"Last I saw you, you were dead," said Aizen.

"How could I do that?" grinned Hirako. "I still have a score to settle with you."

Hitsugaya listened to the exchange, feeling the tension in Aizen's voice. Though he knew his ex-Captain was adept at keeping his mask on at all times, in all the years he spent under him, he had never sensed such a strong feeling of animosity. Now that Hirako was here, the strength of the Thirteen Divisions has increased, and Hitsugaya's actions on the night that he "killed" the Tenth Captain would be in question. Hitsugaya watched warily as Starrk and Baraggan were slayed by Kyouraku and Soifon respectively. Even Tousen revealed his new Hollowfied form to Komamura and Hisagi, but it was the ending of that fight that put Hitsugaya on edge. He was somewhat surprised when Aizen turned his blade against Hallibel, cutting her down. But when he killed Tousen, who had already lost his own battle, Hitsugaya felt that things were going down for the worst. He knew Aizen never really valued the lives of the Espada, but his feelings toward his henchman may not be so different after all. And this is what set a whirring of emotions in Hitsugaya.

"Approach him carefully," warned Hirako to the other Visored and captains surrounding them. "Especially you, Hiyori," he added, looking to a seething girl wearing a red sweatsuit.

"Carefully?" mocked Aizen. "What have you to fear? After all, you all died that day one hundred years ago."

Hiyori snapped at those words and suddenly jumped at Aizen, raising her zanpakuto. However, she was stopped when a blade met hers. Hitsugaya had flash-stepped onto her path and parried her at a standstill. "Get outta the way, Shorty!" she spat, breaking her initial surprise. Ice spontaneously began to form on her sword as she was pushed back forcefully. Hitsugaya glanced at Ichimaru, telling him with just one look that their pact was about to come to an end. Ichimaru furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and opened his mouth slightly as if to say something in protest, but—

"Bankai! Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"

* * *

_"Hitsugaya," said Ichimaru upon passing him in the halls of Las Noches. "How's your new wardrobe workin' for ya?"_

_Hitsugaya glanced down at the new white robes he had received earlier that day. "How did he know our measurements?"_

_"Heh. Oh, is that new?" Ichimaru asked, pointing to the circular, gold pin on Hitsugaya's sash._

_"This?" said Hitsugaya, placing his hand on the pin. "It showed up when..."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"It's nothing," he replied, dropping his hand. "It's new."_

* * *

_I hoped I wouldn't have had to show this._

The sky darkened and thundered overhead as the temperature seemed to drop dramatically. The air had become dry and only Hitsugaya knew the reason. All the water in the air condensed to grow wings of ice on his back, and the ice armor covered his feet and hands, encasing Hyourinmaru's eight-pointed hilt in his grasp. All eyes turned toward Hitsugaya as he now became the center of attention on the battlefield.

"This is surprising," said Aizen. "Hitsugaya-ku—"

As if the revelation of Hitsugaya's Bankai was not surprising enough, all of the Soul Reapers and Visored now hanged their mouths as Hitsugaya jabbed his sword at Aizen. Even Aizen widened his eyes as he defended himself against the blade that he thought he knew so well. "So you were just bidding your own time, Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen, with a tight smile forming on his face. "After all these years, you managed to keep all these secrets. I would have expected no less from my lieutenant. But, seeing as how you relinquished your old home, you now have no place to return to." Hitsugaya remained silent, letting the ice crackling on his blade to do all the talking. "If your traitorous side had been brought to light sooner, perhaps Hinamori-kun should have been my ideal lieutenant."

All the tumultuous waves of emotion spiraling inside Hitsugaya came crashing down all at once. Raising his blade, the ice and water swirling around his zanpakuto collided with Aizen's, causing an explosion of icy mist. "I should have killed you from the start!" roared Hitsugaya.

"Such big words," echoed Aizen's voice from within the mist. "Especially from someone like you."

Hitsugaya stabbed at the source of the voice, but felt nothing meet his blade. When the mist had cleared, he saw that all of his surroundings had returned, but Aizen was nowhere to be found. "What just—!"

It was then that he saw a shadow looming from behind and he turned around to see Hirako dive toward him with his blade ready. Hitsugaya leapt at a higher distance to avoid his swing when he just narrowly dodged a jab from Hiyori, who just barely missed his head. What was going on? Hitsugaya, relying on his ice wings as a shield, hardly had enough time to think as the Visored came at him delivering attack after attack. Were they so adamant to kill even a former ally of Aizen? He landed on the roof of a nearby building, taking cover behind a pair of large air vents, but suddenly he felt a hot searing pain in the shape of an x on his chest. Instinctively swinging forward, he saw that it was Kyouraku with his twin blades emerging from the shadow that the wall of the vent was basked in. "You should be more careful," smiled the Eighth Captain. Before Hitsugaya could prepare himself for another attack, Kyouraku flash-stepped out of sight. Why would he—

But suddenly, Hitsugaya caught something like a yellow spark in his periphery. Soifon had readied her Bankai, and she now took aim at the rooftop that Hitsugaya was currently standing on. The blast was so quick, that he was forced to take some of the impact. Hitting the ground several stories down, Hitsugaya had his vision flash white for a few seconds before staggering to stand up. Bleeding and disoriented, he was not sure if the earth-shaking vibrations from the ground were really his perception or if there was another thing coming. But to his dismay, he saw a pair of large feet step out from behind the adjacent building. Komamura stood atop his mammoth warrior, growling with pure rage. No doubt Tousen's grim death put him in this state, but why wasn't he going after Aizen instead? Why were the remaining Thirteen Divisions using so much effort to kill him?

Hitsugaya stretched his wings and flew up to the sky, bringing himself higher at a rate he hoped would outrun that of Komamura's strike. Fortunately, he had just avoided the attack as the buildings below crumbled, but the strain on his body made him choke out an adequate amount of blood. Hitsugaya watched with darkening eyes as the drops fell down to the rubble below, realizing Kyouraku's blades may have pierced deeper than he thought. He could feel himself weakening by the second; his ice wings had began to weigh against his body rather than keep him in midair. But he should have known. It had only been a few months since he had achieved Bankai so he was basically a newborn compared to these captains.

Just when he thought the worst of his predicament had passed, Hitsugaya knew that what happened next would be the end of him in more ways than one. Looking down at his chest, he saw a familiar blade pierce through; it was a straightened blade with several prongs digging into the spaces between his ribs. He followed the glistening metal to the hilt and shaking hands of its wielder, all splattered in red. Hinamori had tears and dark circles forming under her eyes and her mouth kept opening and closing as if she was hiding something she so desperately wanted to say.

"Captain...Aizen..."

Hitsugaya lifted his head to stare disbelievingly at Hinamori, his pupils constricting at the sickening realization of what had just passed. And even though he saw her looking straight into his eyes, he knew that she was not looking at him. All due to Aizen's illusion, she saw someone else impaled on her blade. Even after all this time, he was still invisible to her.

"This...this is for Hitsugaya-kun."

Hitsugaya's dimming eyes momentarily sparked, and he gripped the blade sunken in his chest. What was she saying? It didn't make any sense to him at all. Then, he saw her armband; there on the badge was a deep cut just crossing over the Fifth Division symbol. It was the same one he had discarded the day he left. "Hinamori..." he said, reaching to touch the one thing that still connected them. Her eyes widened at the action, but she did not flinch as if the feeling were familiar.

"S-Shiro...?" she gasped.

At that moment, the words that had been echoing in his mind finally came to light.

_"Even though it looked like you betrayed them and joined Aizen?"_

_"If they thought that, they wouldn't have come to get me in the first place."_

Had she always believed that he would come back? But...he did not dare to think something like that.

Hitsugaya smiled weakly, blood now streaming from his mouth. The last he heard was the breaking of glaciers and a cry shooting across the sky like a howling gale.


	7. Truth

.

* * *

**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 7_

Truth

* * *

Gin walked slowly along the outskirts of Rukongai, frowning, as was so uncharacteristic of him. The reason he was in such a place was not because of his own decision, but rather the decision of his Captain. He thought back to earlier this evening.

* * *

_"Gin," said Aizen, outside the Fifth Division Headquarters. "It's time."_

_Gin knew what this meant; it was the routine that he and his Captain covertly executed for the past several decades together. They were to go to Rukongai in search of souls to feed the Hogyoku. "Yes, sir," he replied._

_"Ah, hold up, Sousuke," called a voice a distance away. They both turned to see the Tenth Division Captain, Shinji Hirako, and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto._

_"Captain Hirako," greeted Aizen. "How can I help you?"_

_"Yeah, yeah. I can see through that smug face of yours. It's been the same since you were my lieutenant," grinned Hirako. "But I've been meaning to talk with you, alone, if that would be alright. Rangiku, here, is scheduled to patrol the first district of Rukongai, and she could use some company."_

_Gin slightly frowned at this, but when he turned to his Captain, he saw no change in expression. "Gin, please go with Lieutenant Matsumoto. We'll finish our talk later."_

* * *

"Gin!" called Rangiku. "Pick up your feet!" Gin sighed and caught up to Rangiku at the end of the dirt path, leading into one of the villages. "What happened to you? Are you alright? You look tired," she said with worried eyes.

Gin stretched one of his grins across his face, masking any other emotion. "What ever could you mean, Ran?"

Rangiku furrowed her eyebrows and turned slightly to stare at him. She was just about to say something, when her eyes strayed to something behind Gin's shoulders. Gin followed her gaze and saw a girl with pigtails dressed in the red academy uniform crossing through the city gate that they had passed.

"That girl looks familiar," said Rangiku. Gin said nothing, but he, too, recognized that girl. He remembered a group of students that he and Aizen had rescued from Hollows in the World of the Living one night. Ever since, that girl has been enamored with his Captain, often seeing her asking him questions after class or greeting him enthusiastically in passing. He had known her name at one point, but—

"I wonder if she knows someone here," broke in Rangiku. Nevertheless, she shrugged and turned, continuing down the road. Gin followed suit, and they both entered the small marketplace of the first district. As usual, Gin found nothing remotely interesting about the town, finding it as torturous to spend a day here. Memories of his past came back to haunt him whenever he left the safe walls of the Seireitei, reminding him of all the deceit that had led him to this point. Suddenly, he heard Rangiku's yelling from within the small general store followed by a young boy with white hair bounding out of the entrance and sprinting down the road. Even though it was just for a brief second, Gin felt a strong spiritual presence emitting from him. "Hey! Come back!" called Rangiku. She saw Gin waiting outside and ran up to him. "Did you see a boy? One with white hair?"

"Were you tryin' to arrest him?" he smiled.

"No!" pouted Rangiku. "It's just that he had such a strong spiritual pressure. It was kind of unusual."

"Is that kid really that important?"

"He's not, but... but he reminded me a little of you," she smiled briefly.

Gin hated this side of her, the part that cared too much. Looking at her now made him feel sick to his stomach as she wore the same face as when they were children. It was a face that was begging someone to save her from the loneliness she constantly lived beside. Did she so want him to stand next to her even after all he put her through?

"Alright," he said seriously. "I'll check on the kid only if you continue patrollin' this place." Rangiku flashed him a genuine smile and eagerly agreed to the deal. She left to finish her rounds as he stared quietly after her, trying to decipher what exactly was going through that head of hers.

* * *

Finding the boy was not difficult in the least. His spiritual pressure leaked to an extent that he was practically leaving a trail behind him. Gin wondered how this boy was never found by the academy already. It was near midnight as he passed through the gate of a modest-sized house which contained the source of this intense energy, the temperature dropping with every step taken. As he approached the doorway, Gin pushed aside the straw curtain and was hit with an extreme feeling of cold. This definitely held the boy responsible as the current season was still summer. Quietly stepping in, he did not want to disturb the people sleeping inside, but it was harder than he thought when he almost slipped on something that he had not noticed before. There, reflecting in the moonlight, were thin layers of ice coating the floor and walls.

_What the hell is this kid?_

Looking down at him, Gin wondered what Rangiku saw in this boy that reminded her of him. The only thing really was his white hair. He could tell the boy was currently having a nightmare due to his pained expression and his fist tightening on the blanket.

"How cruel. You're probably the only kid in all of Rukongai that slowly killin' his Obaa-chan."

Toushiro shot open his eyes at the sound of an unfamiliar voice hovering over him. Just before he was having the recurrent dream about that ice dragon that always tried to speak to him in his sleep; but this time, it was drowned out by the voice of this intruder that he came to recognize as a Soul Reaper. "Who are—?"

"_Shh_," Gin put a finger to his lips before pointing over to the shivering old lady beside Toushiro. "That's some scary power of yours to be doin' this much damage." Toushiro sat up and looked to his grandmother to see that she in fact was freezing and that the whole room was practically tundra.

"W-Why is it like this?"

"I told you," sighed Gin. "It's that spiritual pressure of yours that's goin' out of control. The only way for you to fix it would be to—" Wait. What was he doing? Gin hesitated at the thought of him actually recruiting someone to join the academy. The last thing he would want would be to have strong Soul Reapers when he and Aizen have been working to weaken the Thirteen Divisions all this time.

"To do...what?" Gin looked down to see Toushiro standing up to face him; the most peculiar expression was on his face. It looked something like desperation but without fear. "Is it to join the academy?" he asked firmly.

Gin raised an eyebrow. This boy was very perceptive for one his age. And not only did he have a strong spiritual pressure, but he had this sort of look on his face that made him seem mature beyond his years. It was then that a crazy idea came to Gin, and it now weighed on his mind without relenting. "Let's step outside."

* * *

"You don't seem very eager to becomin' a Soul Reaper, kid," said Gin, outside the gate of the house.

"It's not kid, it's—"

"I don't care," interrupted Gin. "Now tell me, what is it you have against Soul Reapers?" Toushiro stayed silent at this, not knowing what it really was that this Soul Reaper wanted from him. Who was this person really? Like everyone else who lived in Rukongai, Toushiro did not trust Soul Reapers. Though they used their power to fight Hollows, they also flaunted that same power to oppress those without it. It came as a shock to him when Momo told him that she sensed spiritual pressure coming from him; he had refused to believe such a thing, but now even a complete stranger was telling him so.

"Hmm? What's this?" Gin leant closer to Toushiro and sensed something more than just this boy's own spiritual pressure. He recognized who this other person's spiritual pressure was and he suddenly remembered that girl with pigtails he saw returning to the Seireitei. "So you're the one who knows that girl."

"What?" asked Toushiro, tensing up. "What're you talking about?"

"That academy student, one with pigtails...admires a certain Captain," grinned Gin. "Ah, what was her name again?"

"You know...Momo?" hesitated Toushiro.

Gin's smile widened even further. At first, he just wanted to see if the boy was a good candidate for entering the Thirteen Divisions, but now he was granted some leverage to make this so much easier. It was almost like the plan he was formulating wanted to come together all on its own. "As a matter of fact, I do."

"I-Is she alright?" Gin noticed the look of worry on the boy's face and almost felt bad for including this child in what he was about to do. Almost.

"She's perfectly fine...for now."

"What does that mean?"

Gin let out a small laugh. "Let me show you."

* * *

The moon was still high in the sky as Toushiro found himself along the outskirts of Rukongai. With a lingering threat like the one Gin just told him, Toushiro had no choice but to follow where he led him. "Why are we—?"

"Hush," said Gin sternly. He crouched behind a thick hedge of bushes in the quiet forest that they entered. He silently beckoned Toushiro to sit beside him. "Now don't say anythin' to ruin my focus," he whispered. "I'm doin' my best to hide your crazy spiritual pressure, too."

Toushiro did as he was told while Gin carefully lowered a branch that would allow them both to see a small clearing not too far from the main road. He had no idea what to expect from what was about to happen as well from the person next to him, but ever since Momo was mentioned, he had no choice but to go with his instincts.

Several minutes passed by, and at that time Toushiro saw three beings walk into the clearing dressed in the same black kimono as Gin. However, there was something different about Gin's uniform. But before Toushiro could confirm his idea, another person soon joined the scene in front of him.

He was a man whose presence alone demanded respect. In contrast to the other Soul Reapers who looked disheveled and anxious, this man was on a whole other level. His brisk walk and straightened posture exemplified his leadership, and the billowing white haori he wore only added to that. Toushiro recognized the symbol on his back as one he had seen before.

"Meet Captain Aizen," said Gin. Toushiro blinked back at this. This was really him? It was no wonder Momo spoke of him the way she did, but at the same time it was the expression on Aizen's face that put him on edge. His eyes shone no light behind his glasses, and the smile he wore was almost...sadistic. The other Soul Reapers held out their hands, revealing small but glowing auras in their palms. One by one, Aizen collected these together in a glass container, watching the reaction spark brightly before dimming down. He smiled with satisfaction before turning and leaving the area without another word.

Once the remaining Soul Reapers departed, Toushiro and Gin were once again left alone in the darkness. "What were those?"

"Spiritual pressure," replied Gin irritably. Seeing what Aizen was doing from his current point of view reminded Gin of the time he first witnessed this deceitful act after he had found Rangiku lying unconscious on the side of the road those many years ago. "He's stealin' them from those with it to make a weapon that he plans on usin' to—" Gin stopped when he noted the look of suspicion from Toushiro, but the boy was not looking at him. His gaze was affixed on the lieutenant's armband he wore.

"I knew I've seen that symbol before," replied Toushiro cautiously. "You're his subordinate, aren't you? You work for him, so why are you—!"

"Don't you understand, you fool," Gin broke in, grabbing Toushiro by the collar. "I'm only in this position to kill him!" Toushiro simply stared back in shock as this was the first time he had seen Gin's fox-grin broken. He was visibly upset. Gin, too, was surprised at his sudden outburst. He never expected to spill the truth of his existence and to a child, no less! Now it was certain. His only choices left were to follow through with the plan or to kill this boy, destroying any remaining evidence. Gin sighed and released him, looking away with disappointment.

After a long silence, Toushiro opened his mouth to speak. "Why go so far to do that?" Gin did not answer, but Toushiro knew there had to be an important reason. "Is it that woman from before?" Gin blinked and stared incredulously at the boy. "She, uh...she was the one who told you to find me, wasn't she?"

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Gin asked slowly.

Toushiro slightly smirked. "I can't imagine anyone else telling _you_ what to do."

Gin laughed out loud. This kid was really something else. And for the first time in a long time, Gin felt something like relief. Never in the hundreds of years of his existence did he expect to find someone to understand, someone who may be able to follow the same path as his. "But I'm guessin' that's what people like us do for people like them."

Toushiro caught the hidden message behind that statement, and was steadily realizing that a turning point was about to occur in his life. Gin continued, "You now know as well as I that if your friend continues followin' on her blind admiration, she'll someday become Aizen's lieutenant. And the time will come when he decides to execute his plan, and if she isn't prepared, he'll dispose of her just like that." Toushiro shuddered at this. Was Momo's dream really a lie? She was fighting for this so hard, but if Aizen was really the man that he saw firsthand, then she was only rushing to her death.

"And you," interrupted Gin. "You've been wantin' to follow her ever since she left, huh? But you haven't yet." It was as if the boy needed just one more push to join the academy on his own, but he was holding something back. Gin had a good guess as to what that was; it was the only thing that made sense after all. "You're jealous, aren't you? Of the fact that she only has eyes for him."

Toushiro stood and backed away instinctively as if words were just as dangerous as any weapon. This person was just as observant and no less perceptive than he was, if not more. It was like he was prying apart the dark parts of his soul that even he refused to acknowledge, and that scared him more than anything. "And you're too afraid to act on that. I'm right, aren't I?" Toushiro open and closed his mouth, feeling the need to answer, but nothing came out but a shuddered breath. "It's alright to feel that way," grinned Gin. "In fact, you should use those emotions, that hatred and jealousy, to push yourself through the ranks and get closer to him. And then only after that will you be able to not only kill him but you'll be the one standin' in her way."

Afterwards, Gin led him back to the village, and Toushiro watched him depart down the dirt path until he was drowned out by the darkness. Standing alone on the side of the road, Toushiro replayed Gin's parting message again in his mind.

_"Become a Soul Reaper, kid. After all, it's the only thing you have left to live for."_

* * *

The following day after a sleepless night, Toushiro bowed to his grandmother, informing her of his decision to leave for the Seireitei. The tears he shed were not just because he would be leaving her to live alone but also for the choice that his desperation has forced him to make.

He would enter the Thirteen Divisions and climb the ranks in order to protect Momo by putting a distance between her and Aizen. But he wished that was the only reason. What Gin had said was undeniably true; ever since she enrolled in the academy, she had stopped seeing only him. He had controlled the jealousy he felt growing within him like a disease and he made sure it never came to the surface, but now he was told to use it for this? To free himself from this emotional burden? Fine. He'll embrace it, the darkness within him. And though he knew this path that he was about to take would harm more than just himself, he felt that it was the only thing to do. But why was this? He asked himself that over and over. Well, it was because—

Because she had left him first. His heart was nowhere to be found anyway.

* * *

Hitsugaya painfully opened his eyes at the sound of buildings crumbling down to rubble; the force of the impact caused the cold ground beneath him to shake. Lifting an arm to touch his chest, he felt that the wound was sealed up, but the internal damage was still present. As his mind was steadily coming to, he realized another's spiritual pressure on him who was the one responsible for this.

"Hinamori!" he called, sitting up. He regretted that soon after, clutching his side, but looking around him, he saw that there was no one and practically nothing remaining. For the first time, the battleground was silent, save for the sound of the occasional structure following the laws of entropy. Slowly standing up, he found that he could see all the way to the other end as all the buildings had been blasted away. He stumbled forward, trying to see if there was anyone around, but it was almost like he was the only one left behind.

Just then, Hitsugaya saw something peculiar; it was the barrier the Thirteen Divisions had used in separating this town from its real-world counterpart. If Aizen had been successful in his endeavors so far, then that would be the place that he had departed for. Crossing the border, Hitsugaya was appalled at the level of bloodshed that Aizen had caused within the first few blocks of the city, clenching his teeth at the sight of humans ripped apart. But he used this trail for follow where Aizen was; his task in killing him was not over yet. Soon enough, he felt an overpowering level of spiritual pressure that was enough to halt him in his steps. However, it was then that he heard a loud cry that echoed through the buildings in this town that had been put to sleep.

He limped toward the sound as fast as he could, but his injuries and that intense spiritual pressure greatly slackened his pace. And when he finally arrived at the scene, he froze at what he saw. The source of the cry was Matsumoto, and she was bawling over the still form of Ichimaru, whose spiritual pressure was dimming down like a flame. Standing behind was Aizen or what now looked like him. His transformation due to the Hogyoku was most appalling as he now had dark violet sclera and gigantic insect wings among other changes. And what stood between the wounded and the rising was that orange-haired Soul Reaper that infiltrated the Soul Society, the event that kick-started where they were today.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-kun," smiled Aizen from the side. "So nice of you to join."

"You bastard," spat Hitsugaya. "I'll kill you...I'll—!" But it was that tension that caused him to choke back on some blood.

"With a body like that, I don't see you going anywhere but to death."

Hitsugaya was breathing hard, and just as he was about to retort, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hey," said Ichigo, holding him back. "I saw what you did back there. Because of you, we all sprang together to fight him. You were the spark," he smiled. "You did your part, so trust me. I'll be the one to defeat this guy."

Trust? To have faith in this person? Hitsugaya recently learned that faith was out of his control, but it was also faith that kept him alive even now. Killing Aizen was not just his own goal, nor was it his primary one. He swore to protect _her_ from him, and he did it. So now, it was his turn to step aside as his role was now over. He nodded, letting Ichigo disappear with Aizen to the final battleground.

Turning, he stumbled over to Ichimaru and Matsumoto, knowing that what was to come was inevitable. "Ichimaru," he spoke solemnly. Just briefly, he saw Ichimaru rest his light blue eyes on him; it was the first time he had ever seen them and the last as well. A small smile appeared on his face as if knowing that the pact they shared as well as the path they traveled together had finally come to an end. And Hitsugaya stood, staring back at the only person who was close enough to be called a mentor to him. He smiled, too. It was all done.

Matsumoto had been lost in her own world, keeping her head against Ichimaru's chest while tears were still freely streaming from her eyes. "Matsumoto," said Hitsugaya, though he was not sure if she could hear him. "You were always on his mind throughout all these years. There was never anyone else."

Matsumoto quieted down her sobs and blinked her eyes although she continued staring off into the distance. "The same," she smiled. "Always."

Hitsugaya came to realize that there was something he had left to do. Maybe like these two, there was still some sort of salvation for him like some kind of thread that would still link him to the world. He staggered away, retracing his steps back to the battleground. His heart pounded unsteadily, knowing that the exertion was finally taking its toll on his body. But that did not stop him from searching.

_Where are you, Hinamori? There's something I have to tell you. I don't want you to misunderstand. I don't want you to hate me anymore. Please..._

He stumbled and felt himself falling forward, but he did not hit the ground. Rather, there was warmth surrounding him, and as he struggled to keep his eyes from closing, he blindly grabbed at the last thing he had left to hold on to.

"Please...don't hate me."

* * *

_To be concluded..._


	8. Love

Thank you for an amazing run!

* * *

**Closer to You, Further from Me**

_Chapter 8_

Love

* * *

Drowning. It was hard to imagine something that he had never experienced before, but that didn't make this dream feel any less real. Only darkness and cold existed, and any movement was slowed by the solid hold of the water. Hitsugaya clawed at his throat as a futile attempt to brace himself against suffocation. Desperately, he reached toward the direction opposite that he was falling, waiting for something—anything to bring him back. And as much as he considered the idea of closing his hand into a fist, he knew that if he did, that would be the same as choosing to die. He was afraid of hope failing him or causing him nothing but disappointment, but he came to realize that hope was nothing to fear. Rather, fear was a choice. And he knew at the darkest point in his life, he would choose to sacrifice all he had left even if it was his final breath of air.

It was then that he felt something tighten on his hand. And though he could not see though the blinding light, memories of his past flashed through his mind, reminding him of everything he gave his life for. And the one who was reaching out to him from the other side was—

* * *

Hitsugaya opened his eyes to the sound of his own inhale. It had been sharp and quick, and as he slowed down the pace, the beeping of monitors fell in sync with his breathing.

"Hitsugaya-kun? Are you alright?" Hitsugaya darted his eyes to see Hinamori leaning over his bedside, her face conveying worry. In an instant, he grabbed at her sleeve and pulled himself closer to her despite the tubes restraining him to the bed. Hinamori froze as she felt her head being held against the crook of his neck, but slowly, she lifted her arms and secured them around his back. "What's wrong?" she smiled. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Hitsugaya gripped the back of her kimono between his fingers, giving a hard stare to the wall behind her. He focused on nothing, though, but the sound of her voice. He was literally brought back from the depths of his dream, and because of her, he was given another chance to breathe—to live. He buried his mouth against her shoulder. "It's like being underwater without you."

"Huh? You must still be half-asleep," laughed Hinamori. She lowered him back onto the bed, and that was when Hitsugaya took a glance at the room. He was in a hospital ward, but it wasn't that of the Fourth Division. Rather, it was stark and small, and at the foot of the bed was the door standing next to a peculiar dark-tinted glass. This place looked more like a holding cell for criminals. And that was when he realized that this time with Hinamori may be limited; Soul Society still saw him as a traitor after all.

"Hinamori, how much time do we have?" he asked quickly.

Hinamori's look of surprise turned dimmer, and she looked down at her lap. "I'm not sure."

"They're going to execute me, aren't they?"

"No!" stood Hinamori. "I'm…I'm going to do everything in my power to keep that from happening!" She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut to blink back the tears threatening to fall.

Hitsugaya stared at her with confusion. "Why are you trying so hard? It's what I deserve."

She shook her head harshly. "No, you don't! I knew it from the start. I knew that you didn't really betray us."

"Are you saying that you knew I would come back all along?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes," she nodded. "And I was right."

"That blind faith of yours can get you killed, you idiot." There was some anger in his tone, but also relief.

"I suppose it's a good thing I trusted in the right person," she smiled weakly, looking at him from the side.

Hitsugaya looked at her with a quivering stare. He then looked down at the white sheet covering him. "I'm sorry…for all this, for everything I did. I know that they won't listen to me when I'm put on trial, but please, if it's you, then that's all I need." He reached for her hand and led her back to the chair next to him, but he did not release his hold for fear that this may be the last time. "I'll tell you everything from the beginning."

He exhaled and continued. "After you left for the academy and before I joined, Ichimaru found me one night in Rukongai and showed me Aizen's true self. But rather than tell anyone, we decided to get closer to him, thinking that that would be the best way to catch him off guard. I know it was a bad idea, but from the looks of things, I'm guessing he didn't succeed in taking over the Soul Society. And so, I became the Fifth Division Lieutenant, knowing full well what I was in for. I had to do so many things to gain Aizen's trust, even agreeing to kill the Tenth Captain. But when the Ryoka came, that was when his real plan was finally happening. I knew he framed his death from the start; I was immune to the illusion that tricked the remaining Divisions because he never revealed his zanpakuto to me. But I had no idea that he hid in the Central 46 after he killed them, nor did I know his plan with Rukia Kuchiki and the Hogyoku. And when Ichimaru finally led me to him, Aizen gave me the choice to join him or stay behind. I didn't want to leave, and seeing you there only made it that much harder. But if I said no, I couldn't risk getting you hurt and I knew I couldn't leave my plan incomplete. No matter what, I was going to make sure Aizen never won. I'm sorry that the person you admired betrayed you, and I'm sorry I did the same. You asked me once why I became a Soul Reaper, and I wish killing Aizen was all I could say, but it's not."

He took a breath, trying to prevent himself from choking on his words. He knew he had to say this, or else the truth would die with him. "The way I treated you ever since I joined the Divisions was…different from when it was just us in Rukongai. I was hard…to look at you when—uh, when…he was around. Sorry…" Hitsugaya curled his legs to his chest and hid his face behind them, repeating his last word.

Hinamori stood and encircled her arms around the person she had at one time looked up to as a leader, but now, that had been stripped away. All that was left was the boy she had once known in Rukongai, and currently, that boy was...broken. "I'm sorry, too," she said, letting her tears flow. "For what I did in Karakura to everything before that. I'm sorry that I couldn't see, and I'm sorry that you felt the need to take this upon yourself. I get it now, Shiro-chan. I—"

She stopped when she felt an arm grab hers and a head be pressed against her chest. "Shiro—?"

"I missed you."

She nodded, holding the white-haired head against her. She wanted so say something back, but not knowing what the future would hold for the two of them was enough to keep her mouth in a tightly pressed frown suppressing a cry.

* * *

"What'd I tell you? I knew following the girl would be worth it. And we got a confession, one hell of a confession at that."

"Hmm…"

"Huh? Don't tell me you plan on executing this kid after all that, Head-Captain!"

"Hirako," said Yamamoto sternly. "There is something that has not yet been explained." He and Hirako stood behind the window of the room currently holding the former Fifth Division Lieutenant, who was now branded as a traitor. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes and stared through his reflection in the glass, not concerning himself with being detected for the window was not only keeping him hidden but it was also sound-proof from the outside. "Toushiro Hitsugaya said he agreed to kill the Tenth Captain and until now the Thirteen Divisions have accepted your death, so am I to assume that was a ruse as well?"

Hirako massaged the back of his neck and took a moment to loosen it up. "Ahh, yeah…that," he sighed. "Well, prepare yourself for a long story, Head-Captain, because all this started a hundred years ago. So I'm sure that what happened on the night of our disappearance was kept all hush-hush, but I'm sure you know all the details of Sousuke's experiment. After Kisuke rescued us before we all became completely Hollowfied, my transformation was the least critical as I was the last one to be affected. At that moment, it became plausible to Kisuke that I could be saved, so he used some desperate tactics and managed to keep my Hollowfication suppressed.

"I could barely contain the anger I had toward Sousuke; I knew he was hiding secrets from me the whole time he was my lieutenant, but I never expected anything like this. I wanted to go back immediately and kill him, but Kisuke told me there was a way to expose Sousuke for what he was without putting myself at risk. For what I had been through, there was nothing worse that he could do to me, but I agreed with the plan. And as you know, a few days after that incident, the Thirteen Divisions located my unconscious body on the outskirts of Rukongai. Kisuke had sent me back to the Soul Society without telling me where he and the rest of our comrades were going, so he gave me this antidote to continue suppressing the Hollowfication. Unfortunately, its side-effect left me comatose for the next six months, and when I woke up, Sousuke had become the Fifth Captain while Gin Ichimaru had become his lieutenant. I knew that my presence there made them uneasy, but it would be too conspicuous if they tried anything. And so, in the end, I was a captain-class Soul Reaper without my captain-class seat. Anyway, I took the title as Tenth Captain since, well, 'he' left, and I did that for a few decades until this kid showed up.

"As I observed Sousuke and tried to find the evidence against him, I was getting the feeling that he was still up to what he started, and not only that, but he was involving this boy as well. And one night, I confronted Sousuke, but he makes others do his dirty work. That bastard! I shouldn't have been surprised when he ambushed me with Ichimaru, who didn't hesitate to use his Bankai. But then, Sousuke ordered that kid to finish me off, and I swear I thought he did. But the next thing I remember is waking up at the Shiba house. Kukaku told me I was pretty banged up, but all my vital organs were still intact. She said two Soul Reapers with white hair dragged me there and told her to make sure that the Thirteen Divisions still believed I was dead. Then, they left. That's when it occurred to me that I wasn't the only one who had Sousuke on my hit list. I believed that those two would succeed, and when the time came, I would join in along with the rest of the Visored.

"And thinking about it now, I'm probably the one responsible for Ichimaru recruiting Hitsugaya. The night he said that Ichimaru found him in Rukongai was most likely the same night I told Ichimaru to go with Rangiku, who was on patrol for that area. She had told me that Ichimaru never took a step outside of the Seireitei unless ordered to, and who better to make sure he did so than her? All I wanted was to separate Sousuke from Ichimaru so I could follow him without another person getting in the way, but it seems we all ended up in the same place—that forest in Rukongai where we witnessed Sousuke's plan in the making. So really, because of what I did, that kid you see there is facing the death penalty for having more guts than the rest of us."

Yamamoto blinked back at the defined ending of Hirako's story; mysteries spanning one hundred years into the past had finally been solved. "Are you asking me to defy the orders of the Central 46 and stop the execution?"

Hirako glanced at him from the side, with a slight grin on his face. "Hmm…"

Yamamoto looked back to the window. "Why would someone put themselves through all that?"

"Aw, come on, Head-Captain! You know the reason. Even _you_ must have experienced it at some point in your life." Hirako raised his head. "Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you. What are you going to do with those empty captain's seats?"

"I suppose you want your old position back."

"Huh? Oh, right. I'm sure Rangiku's been pretty lonely without me."

"What? Then what about your original seat?"

"Hah! Who'd you think we were talking about?"

* * *

_Seventeen months later…_

* * *

"Hurry up! Why are you so far behind?"

"I'm not! You're just rushing unnecessarily."

Hinamori stopped and looked back, her short hair fanning out and following the motion of her head. The one who appeared at her side was another Soul Reaper with messy, white hair. "You don't have to be nervous," she smiled.

Hitsugaya pinched the green sash he now wore around his neck and lifted it to cover his mouth. "I'm not," he grumbled.

Hinamori sighed. "Alright, we'll walk."

The two walked in silence along the streets of the Seireitei that led into the heart of the city. "You could always change that, you know." Hinamori followed Hitsugaya's gaze, which rested on her armband. She touched the wooden tablet and ran her finger along the line of the deep cut that ran over it.

She shook her head. "It's important." Hitsugaya made brief eye contact with her before looking away. He didn't want her to see the new color appearing on his face. Thankfully, she was as oblivious as he was subtle. "Hm? No comeback? You're really quiet today."

"It can't be helped," he said quickly. "Are…are you sure today is the day? I won't be adding to my criminal record by leaving, right?"

"I'm sure. Why else would the mission be scheduled for today?"

Hitsugaya nodded curtly. In the past, he could barely care less about breaking the law, but now—well, things had become completely different. Ever since he was released from the hospital, he had expected to be immediately transferred to Muken for life or to be awaiting execution. But none of that happened. Rather, it was the Head-Captain who informed him of his change in status after Yamamoto managed to convince the Central 46 otherwise, an act Hitsugaya believed to be more difficult than taking over the Soul Society, itself. The only setback for his "freedom" was that he had been put under a kind of house arrest in which he could not leave the walls of the Seireitei, not even to visit his grandmother who was in the adjacent neighborhood. And though seeing her was the first thing he wanted to do after these seventeen months, a mission was already lined up in the World of the Living.

Much to his dismay, he now found himself at the top of Sokyoku Hill, waiting at the place that the Senkaimon would open. Staring at the towering gateway, he was afraid that even the slightest movement would set off some sort of alarm. "Why isn't it opening?"

The next he heard was Hinamori's outburst of laughter. "Have you already forgotten how these work?"

"Oi! S-Shut up…"

"Here, watch." Hinamori turned, looking up at the gate. "Fifth Division Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori." The sound of something unlocking echoed in the air after her announcement, but no white light shone.

"It didn't work," Hitsugaya said plainly.

"That's because it's not complete," she retorted. "Don't worry, Shiro-chan. I'm not leaving without you."

"W-Whatever. And call me by my title."

"You first."

Hitsugaya looked from Hinamori to the gate, taking a breath. "Fifth Division Captain, Toushiro Hitsugaya. Reporting for duty."


End file.
